Prosecutors are questioning former National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong as part of their probe into suspicions that the previous government forcibly repatriated two North Korean fishermen in 2019. 

Chung arrived at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning on Tuesday morning. 

As one of the top security officials of the Moon Jae-in government, Chung is suspected of making the final decision to send the two fishermen back to North Korea against their will before the National Intelligence Service(NIS) concluded its probe into the matter. 

The sailors were captured by the South’s military in waters near the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea on November 2, 2019. The Moon administration decided to repatriate the fishermen five days later, after assessing that they were not eligible for protection. They were suspected of killing over a dozen fellow crew members before crossing the border into the South.

Last July, a civic group filed a complaint against Chung and former NIS chief Suh Hoon, accusing them of abusing their authority in the process of repatriating the two North Koreans. 

Prosecutors have previously questioned Suh on the case, as well as former presidential Chief of Staff Noh Young-min and former unification minister Kim Yeon-chul.